18th century jewelry and before is rare and precious. Often fragile, it is exceptional to find them in perfect condition. The know-how of stone cutting and metal treatment was not yet perfected and the gems are often set with hammered flats of precious metals. The diamonds are cut in rose or in points: they are cleaved by the lapidary. They have a charm but not the brilliance of brilliant cut diamonds.
We can find enamelled jewels, revolutionary jewels or jewels with a political message. Men wore on their fingers the portraits of political figures they supported, the rings could hide secret mechanisms, poison compartments. These pre-19th century jewels are the delight of collectors and historians.